In the Early Morning
by henriettayuki
Summary: Toshiko wakes up in the early morning. Short oneshot. UPDATED: Companion chapter added.
1. Chapter 1

Toshiko Sato woke up to the soft beeping of an alarm clock. She rested a hand on her temple and the other on her stomach as she rose from under the thick comforter. She knew she shouldn't have drunk so much the night before. She reached over and turned off the alarm, emptying the room of its soft but bothersome sound. In the silence, Toshiko rubbed her face with both hands and sighed. It was too bright to go back to sleep but too early to get up. She leaned back against the headboard and stared at the lump in the comforter beside her.

It was inevitable that it would happen again. Everyone had been so happy. She had been so happy. Life and drama and work had been pulling them all in their separate ways, slowly but surely. The days of group partying were becoming a rarity but last night, it was like nothing had changed. Last night had been almost nostalgic. Except for its ending.

Toshiko rubbed the lump with a gentle hand. Hesitantly she let it disappear under the covers. Her thin fingers ruffled the dark strands of Owen's hair before insecurity gripped her and Toshiko let her hand fall to the mattress. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face into them. Each time she fell into Owen's bed, she felt like a part of her was being given away to this selfish man. The first time had been a dream but the consequences had been devastating. The confidence Toshiko had gained during their night of pleasure had been shattered the very next morning when they could barely acknowledge the other's existence, let alone the act they had committed. But it didn't seem to stop them from playing the fool time and time again.

Owen shifted under the comforter. A tuff of hair peaked out before he pulled the blankets tighter around his head and disappeared once again.

"Your alarm went off," Toshiko spoke, turning to Owen's hidden form. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the palm of her hand as she watched him. Owen shifted again then turned under the comforter. She felt his warm open palm against her shin then her knee. His familiar and firm grip grasped to her thigh and gently pulled her toward him. She let him pull her back onto the mattress and under the thick comforter.

Owen's face was so close to hers. His eyes were still half hooded with sleepy lids.

"Just fifteen more minutes," he whispered. His dark pupils were so calm and gentle in their sleepy haze.

"I am on call," Toshiko whispered. Owen turned on his side and pressed his bare skin flush against hers.

"Hm…" he muttered into her hair then rested his arm over her hip, holding Toshiko in a loose embrace.

"Owen?"

"Hm?" Toshiko turned around and buried her face into Owen's chest. She took a deep breath of his scent before resting her head against his shoulder.

"Nothing…go back to sleep."

"Hm…"

Toshiko slowly eased back into sleep where she dreamt of a man with a cocky grin and gentle kisses. His hands were warm against her hip and back. When the alarm went off again, Toshiko was alone and the bed had already grown cold where Owen had slept. Toshiko pulled the thick blankets around her shoulders as she was once again left alone in Owen Harper's cold bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Toshiko was crouched before the morgue's storage units writing notes in Japanese. She knew the others would not appreciate the action but she was feeling selfish. She heard loud clattering from the main work areas but zoned it out. Maybe she was not being selfish as much as making up a reason, on her terms, to be isolated from the others. They knew how to goof off while Toshiko only knew how to work. In the back of her mind, Toshiko wondered if that was how they saw her. She sighed. That would be disappointing.

"Hey." Toshiko glanced to the side to see Owen pushing a new corpse into the room.

"Hello, Owen," she replied with a smile.

"I'm going to put this one over here so don't include it in the stats." He was already opening a box for the new visitor.

"Got it," Toshiko replied.

"You got a story for him already?" Owen asked as he lifted the body off the gurney.

"I have a faint idea. He'll probably show up outside of the city in a couple weeks." Owen shoved the body into a freezer container.

"Thanks for helping with this. I appreciate it." Toshiko nodded. "Not just with him but with well, you know that too." Owen gestured over his shoulder toward the work Toshiko was doing although she did not look up.

"Yeah. No worries." Owen closed the door loudly. He watched Toshiko write before leaning against the morgue wall.

"I wouldn't have finished without your help."

"Mm…hm."

"I mean—"

"Please stop," Toshiko interrupted. "You're making this really uncomfortable." For the first time since Owen entered, Toshiko turned to him. She looked serious, which made Owen look away and chuckle.

"Well I tried," he gave in. Toshiko nodded as she returned to her clipboard. "Thanks for bringing me my keys the other day. I forgot you said you were on call." Toshiko nodded.

"It's fine. I got some work done."

"It was practically your day off." Toshiko shrugged.

"It happens." The silence grew uncomfortable again. Owen leaned back against the wall and sighed. Toshiko's writing was loud in their ears.

"Tuesday, are you—"

"No."

"I didn't finish. That might have been a date." The moment he said it, Owen regretted opening his mouth.

"That was cruel…" she muttered. It grew quiet again.

"Tosh," he finally spoke up. Toshiko looked at him.

"Yes?" Loud boots echoed in the morgue and they both turned to see Jack striding toward them.

"Toshiko, I need you at your desk," Jack ordered. He looked at Owen and they acknowledged each other with a slight nod. Toshiko stood up.

"I'll finish that," Owen offered as Toshiko followed Jack back to her desk. He took the clipboard and watched Jack and Toshiko leave. He sighed then looked at the clipboard.

"Fuck," he muttered then tossed the clipboard on the now empty gurney.

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A/N: Thank you for reading and for the lovely reviews. I greatly appreciate them.


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